Chapter 3

It has been a month since Jiho’s confession. He’s been stuck in the studio a lot lately so it has given me the opportunity to avoid him. Meeting with Taewoon has been difficult as well but Jiho’s words had me thinking about my feelings towards Taewoon.

“Maggie?” Taewoon is sitting across from me. Today our schedules have allowed us to meet for lunch.

“Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. Were you saying something?”

“Yeah, I said I missed seeing you these past few days.

He extends his right arm across the table and envelopes his hand into mine. My thoughts ramble about the act of skin ship in this situation and the liability of this moment being published on some gossip tabloid.

“It was a busy month for the two of us.” I reply. During the month of January, the company kept me busy reviewing numbers for our year to date profits and investments, we have investments in just about everything. There is talk about expanding the company internationally but it is just an idea for now. Our biggest income is South Korea’s entertainment circle. With the Hallyu Wave movement, we’ve benefited from entertainment companies just as much as they have from us.

Taewoon’s thumb grazing the back of my hand back and forth has developed an uncontrollable fluttering in my stomach. 

“Is that your way of telling me you were too busy to miss me?” He does the annoying Woo brother pout. Taewoon and Jiho should avoid aegyo altogether, I constantly remind them to stop but I think it just triggers them to continue.

“Of course, I missed you.” He squeezes my hand and grins from ear to ear.

“Promise to visit me more often.” Taewoon extracts his hand from mine and holds his pinky up between us. It is amusing how childishly he can be at times.

“I promise.” I link my pinky with his and we push our thumbs upwards to meet. It is small things like these I can do with Taewoon so easily.

March

A tradition declared by Jiho alone, we must always celebrate our birthdays together. It began with his September birth date the year we had met. Soon far we have been lucky enough for neither of us to out of the country for those dates.

I wore a simple black ponte pleated skirt that ran about three inches above my knee, over a cream floral lace body suit, and satin lapel jacket. I wore the pearl earrings Jiho had given me the previous year and finish the look off with a bright red shade of lipstick. I slip into my favorite black pumps and exit the apartment

Taewoon and Jiho are already at the restaurant when I arrive. They are both dressed sharply like the night I met them. Taewoon is wearing black pants with a black v-neck and a gray blazer. As for Jiho, he has on grey pants held up with a black belt and silver buckle, a tucked, slim fit, white button up, long sleeve dress shirt, and a thin black tie. I am so accustomed to their usual hoodies and sweat pants; I often forget how these boys are actually men.

“Happy birthday, Princess.” Taewoon is the first to greet me. He has a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. If it weren’t for the hostess telling us our table was ready I’d probably would have ran straight into Taewoon’s arms.

 “Do you like them? They were extremely difficult to find. My manager wanted us to give up. But Jiho said it had to sunflowers or nothing at all. I really wanted to get you flowers.” Taewoon places the bouquet carefully into my arms. He pulls out a chair from under the round table and gestures for me to sit. Jiho is quite aware about my sunflower obsession.

“I love them.” I acknowledge Jiho and mouth thank you. He smiles with his eyes and places a pink gift bag with white tissue paper between us.

“This is for you.” He switches his attention to the waitress and asks her a few questions about the menu.

Naturally, Taewoon engages most of the dinner conversation along with Jiho. I’ve always enjoyed their sibling relationship and envy it as well. My relationship with my older siblings has never been to par. My father is not one to choose favorites unlike my mother who favors my oldest brother, Jason. This favoritism is one of many that have triggered the rivalry between. Or rather between them, I try my best to isolate myself from Jason and my older sister, June’s, conflicts. Well try, I won’t deny I don’t attempt to push myself to attract some sort of approval from our mother.

“I think this year for Maggie’s birthday we should share stories about her. What do you think, Jiho?” Taewoon smiles smugly at his younger brother.

“I like it. I have lots of embarrassing stories to share.” Jiho grins mischievously. The sirens go off in my head because unlike Taewoon, Jiho has an extensive amount of stories I would really prefer to be kept between us.

“And I think the two of you have had enough to drink.” I chime. I call the waitress over. “I think were are done with this.” I point at the half empty wine bottle. “Could we just get water from now on?” The waitress nods, oddly glances at Taewoon and Jiho giggling to themselves. At least they looked drunk.

 “Good choice on getting rid of the wine, it reminds me of that one time… Taewoon, you should have been there. So, Maggie and I went drinking-”

“And the story ends there.” I interrupt Jiho. I twist in my seat to search for the waitress again. “Should we ask for the bill?”

“Come on, Maggie. I know you and Jiho have all these inside jokes. Let me be part of one.” Taewoon persists. I inhale and exhale quite loudly.

“Okay. So, Jiho and I went drinking, I got pissed drunk and apparently I danced too Gee on top of a table. Oh, and I proposed to a stranger on the street.” I get right to the point and glare at Jiho snickering in his seat.

“First time I ever seen a man scared of a drunk woman. I literally had to carry her away. She kept crying I was taking her away from her prince charming.” My face and possibly my entire body are burning in pure embarrassment. Taewoon and Jiho laugh heartily in my dismay. Friends. What would you do without them? Not relive your worst moments in public, that’s what.

 A couple more stories are shared. I learned to laugh at some of them. Jiho even managed to leave out the ones I considered to be far worse than the first story. I was more than grateful than that.

Unfortunately, Taewoon’s curfew was set early for tonight. Speed is just wrapping their promotions and he has one last recording before their final stage tomorrow.

Jiho takes me home for the night. I have difficulty searching for words to lift the silence in the car. As per usual Jiho walks me to my door, he holds my sunflowers in one hand and gift bag in the other. He waits until I unlock my door to return my items.

“You look pretty tonight.” Jiho tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You know we are going to have to talk about what said some time. But, I’ll let it go for tonight. Happy birthday, Maggie.” He bends down and softly places his lips below my hairline.

I haven’t realized I was holding my breath until he stepped back.